Sticks and Stones
by SecretLifez
Summary: Kensi says some things she shouldn't have changing her and Deeks partnership, completely. Will she get the chance to make things right or will she lose Deeks before she can?
1. Chapter 1

Kensi Blye looked up at the knock on her door knowing who it was before the familiar voice sounded, just by the trademark knock at the time at which it sounded. She sighed and went to answer the door not really in the mood for talking but knowing that the person on the other side of the door wouldn't give up.

"What?" she snapped as she opened the door,

The person on the receiving end of her fury looked taken back, whether at her fury or her appearance she didn't know, before rebounding with an infuriating smile.

"Deeks!" She growled, not wanting to deal with his antics.

He put his hands up in the universal sign of surrender while saying, "I'm not here as your enemy Kens, just came by to spread some of my charm, figured you'd miss it." A charming smile, quickly removed at her answering scowl, followed his statement. He sighed, " Kens, I was worried about you, you seemed…weird today."

"I'm fine," she responded before stomping away from the open door.

Deeks gave her a disbelieving look before asking, "Kens, really, what's wrong?"

"Would you stop asking that? I'm fine. Don't you think I would know if I wasn't?" She angrily retorted.

"Look, I care about you and just wanted to make sure you're okay," Deeks explained patiently.

"Well, I don't need anyone to care, especially not you, Deeks."

"What?" asked a completely bewildered Deeks.

"**I DON'T WANT ANYONE, I SURE AS HELL DON'T NEED ANYONE ESPECIALLY SOMEONE LIKE YOU!"** She screamed.

"Someone like me? What does that even mean?" asked Deeks, thoroughly confused.

"Someone with your past, your genes," she spat looking him up and down in disgust.

As Deeks continued to stare at her with a look that was somewhere between confused, disbelieving and hurt, she continued relentlessly. "Someone's whose alcoholic father abused his family because he couldn't stand them. Someone just like Tony Mark and you, Martin Deeks!" She spat. "So, do you think I want someone like that in my life? Look how it turned out for petty officer Hale."

Deeks stood stunned and hurt beyond anything at the things Kensi had just said about him, to his face. Kensi, who was his partner and who he thought was his best friend, thought he was just like his father and Tony Mark. Two men who abused and killed the people they swore to love and protect, though they killed them in different ways. He shook himself out of his stupor and pivoted towards the door. He couldn't leave fast enough in his books.

Deeks got into his car revved the engine and immediately pulled onto the road. His mind was replaying everything Kensi had told him as he mindlessly drove through the streets. He sighed and impulsively directed the car towards the beach and just sat there. How could he have let his guard down? How could he have been so wrong?

Kensi, meanwhile, stood in her living room also replaying everything she had said to Deeks. She remembered clearly the look on his face as she'd compared him to his father and Tony Mark. But more than that she remembered the blue in his eyes had diluted even though at the time she couldn't see it through the haze of fury over her eyes. Fury she had wrongfully directed at Deeks but that was now directed at herself. How could she have been so cruel to Deeks?

She thought about calling him but eventually decided against it. Deciding it was best to talk to him face-to-face the next day instead, though she felt a sense of dread even thinking about the conversation.

The conversation, however, never took place.


	2. Chapter 2

The call came well into the early hours of the morning and although she wasn't asleep she took a while to answer it. The news she got from the caller left her frozen and in shock. Martin Deeks had been involved in an accident and was being taken to the hospital. It took the caller repeating her name multiple times after she was told this before she gathered her wits and asked which hospital he was being transferred to.

Kensi sped through the deserted streets on her way to the hospital, her mind spining with 'what ifs'. She was sure the caller told her what had happened but for the life of her she couldn't remember any thing that was said.

When she got to the nurses station, less than 15 minutes later, she was given forms to fill out even as she demanded answers. When she finally calmed down a bit after being reassured that everything was being done for Deeks, she became aware of what she held in her hand and with that realization came the face of Hetty.

Hetty was called and everything that Kensi could remember was relayed. Hetty promised to be there soon and to round up the team. Hetty arrived to find Kensi permanently imprinting her footprints in the waiting room's floor. She observed her agent for a while before making her presence known.

Kensi spun around to see Hetty standing about 3feet away from her. She opened her mouth to questioned Hetty but was stopped by the operations manager's words.

"Mr. Deeks has been taken up to be x-rayed and then possibly to surgery. It appears he was propelled into the air at a high velocity and hit his head when he landed, resulting in possibly a concussion or maybe even bleeding in the brain."

Kensi listened to everything hetty said but her mind was only processing one statement, 'propelled into the air at a high velocity'. If he was 'propelled into the air' then he wasn't in his car.

"He wasn't in his car," she muttered.

"It appears our Mr. Deeks was assisting a young lady with her groceries and young child as she crossed the street. The children had fallen behind and Mr. Deeks was returning for him when a speeding car suddenly appeared. It seems that he only had time to prevent one of them from being struck," stated Hetty.

"He pushed the kid out of the road," Kensi stated before asking, "what happened to the kid?"

"He's being checked out now by a doctor, he should be out soon as they don't believe he was struck only bruised a bit from being pushed."

Kensi nodded, her mind comtemplating what Deeks had done and the things she had said to him. She was jerked out of her thoughts by a small voice on her left saying a particular name.

"Is Marty going to be okay, mommy?"

Kensi looked at the little boy with mismatched eyes and realized that it was most likely the child her partner had saved. Her eyes then went to the mother who was gazing down at the child trying to find the best way to answer. Before his mother could answer, the boy spotted Hetty and ran towards her.

"Excuse me, miss, Is Marty going to be okay?"

"I'm sure the doctors are going to do everything they can to make sure Mr. Deeks is going to be okay," Hetty replied though her words were for Kensi as much as for the little boy.

The little boy screwed up his face, "who's Mr. Deeks?" He asked.

Kensi chuckled while Hetty and the boy's mother smiled. "Marty and are the same person, Brandon" his mother told him.

"Oh," Brandon replied before his eyes became fixed on Kensi. He peered at her curiously then stated, "you have eyes just like mine." After a brief pause he continued, "are you Kensi?"

Kensi stared blankly at Brandon for a heartbeat then answered, "Yes, I am."

"Marty told me that you were partners and maybe best friends. I have a best friend too, his name is Charlie and I have a dog too. His name is Max, Marty said he had a dog also but I can't remember the name."

"Monty," supplied Kensi.

"Yeah, Monty," but before he could go on another rant his mother intervened.

"Brandon, leave the lady alone!"

Kensi found herself saying that it was okay and soon found her self in conversation with Brandon who reminded her of Deeks in miniature form.

**Although my original plan was to allow you the readers to put your own twist on the ending of the 1st chapter, I am glad them many of you persuaded me to continue. I hope that I write will live up to your expectations. :)**

**P.S ****It was never my intention to offend anyone with the portrayal of Kensi in the 1st chapter. If you are of the opinion that I portrayed her unfairly or psychotic or whatever, your entitled to your opinion. I will however admit that she was extremely emotionally affected by 'something'**


	3. Chapter 3

Time flew by as Kensi talked to Brandon. He really did remind her of the man currently in surgery. Deeks had apparently told him a lot about himself and also about Kensi in the short time they had spoken.

The shuffling of feet towards them broke up their conversation, which had now moved on to cars.

"Dr. Bridgeman, how is the patient," was Hetty's greeting.

The doctor hesitated and Kensi became tense although she was still aware of the little boy sitting beside her. In her experience, hesitations by medical professionals never meant anything good, so she braced herself.

"The surgery went well but it is still touch-and-go. The head injury which sustained has the potential to cause memory loss, it could be either short-term or long-term ,we'll know more when he wakes up. Even if there is no memory loss, there's also the possibility of him not being able to comprehend language or not being able to speak. But, again, we'll know more when he wakes up and after he is evaluated and consulted by a neurologist. His temporal lobe has been damaged but we are not as of yet aware of the severity of the damage."

"How long until he wakes up?" Kensi hoarsely asked still trying to appear unaffected for Brandon's sake.

"Well, that's up to Mr. Deeks," replied the doctor. "Some patients wake up within 48 hours, others weeks and a minority wake up after nearly 3 months."

Kensi nodded while Hetty took over the 'interogation' of the doctor and Brandon slipped his little hand into Kensi's.

"Marty's gonna be okay right? The doctor's gonna make him better jus like they made me."

Kensi looked into the mismatched eyes of the little voice trying to answer him but couldn't. fginally giving up she looked to his mother who nodded in understanding and smoothly steeped in to answer. Brandon, however, was not satisfied with his mother's assurance and again turned to Kensi who was fighting back tears.

Kensi looked down at the little boy who was continually staring at her as she tried to find her voice and the words necessary to reassure him.

"Deeks…Marty'll be fine," she finally said. "…he'll be fine."

Brandon looked up at her as if assessing her answer before throwing his arms around her and Kensi returned the hug.

While Brandon was waiting on Kensi's answer, Hetty had stepped away to make a few phone calls. First to the others who were 'investigating' Deeks case and anxiously awaiting word on the liaison who had grown on them and the 'sister' who had been through enough pain and heartache to last a lifetime. Her second phone call was to a neurologist who lived in Switzerland and who like many owed her a favour. After little persuasion, the doctor agreed to travel to Los Angeles to evaluated Deeks. She also ordered food for Kensi, knowing she wouldn't leave to get any for herself.

After her missions were completed, Hetty returned to the little group she had left. She smiled sadly to see Kensi and Brandon gripping each other tightly as they wished with all their hearts for the recovery of the man that brought them together.

Another version of the previous smile returned sometime later when Brandon's mother broke up the embrace to take Brandon home. The boy protested against leaving both Marty and Kensi but his mother told him he could return the next day. Kensi agreed causing the boy to also reluctantly agree.

After Brandon and his mother had left Hetty stood observing her agent who seemed to have retreated into herself, oblivious to everything but her thoughts. Hetty's observation was interrupted by the appearance of the doctor, who had come to inform them that Deeks was in his room. He only got as far as the room number before Kensi had disappeared heading towards the room.

She was not at all prepared for the sight that greeted her.


	4. Chapter 4

Kensi sat in the same position she had been in for the past few hours, staring at the figure lying in the only bed occupying the room. It looked like Deeks but it wasn't, at least that's what her mind tried to tell her, but she knew it was Deeks and the fact that he was here was her fault.

She sighed and looked away from the bed and its occupant, letting her mind wonder to the case that had started the chain reaction that led to them being there:

**Petty officer Liz-Ann Foster had been missing for two weeks before her case came to the team. She was not overly popular among her peers but she wasn't isolated either. Everyone who had ever had any communication with her thought she was pleasant but shy and 'jumpy' and as far as everyone knew, she had no family – no kids, no husband or boyfriend and no other living blood relation.**

**The team had visited her home and found blood throughout the entire ground floor and on the lower portion of the stairs. Along with the coagulated blood, they had also found a syringe with a needle attached to it. The working theories at first glance were that maybe she had returned and was ambushed by burglars before they could steal anything or maybe someone wanted inside information, saw her as vulnerable and thought she could give them it but didn't expect her to put up a fight.**

**Eric and Nell discovered that her real name wasn't Liz-Ann Foster but that it was Kristine Mark. Unlike her alias Liz-Ann, Kristine was a mother and a wife though the whereabouts of her family were at first unknown. The only commonality either 'woman' had was that they were both thirty-five.**

**After the puzzle that was Kirsten's life was pieced together by Eric and Nell, the resulting picture was rivetingly astounding yet common. Kristine had been in a relationship with her husband, Tony Mark for fifteen years and had been married for half of those years. Her mother or brother did not like Tony or the aggressive and possessive way Tony acted towards her and spoke to her about it, she thought they were jealous of her relationship. Because of this, Kristine who had had a close relationship with both of them had not spoken to them in years. They didn't know she was married to Tony or that she had had children. **

**She found out soon after stopping communication with her family that their instinctual distrust for Tony was sound as two years into their relationship Tony began abusing her. She never pressed any charges and stayed with him even though reports indicated that he also abused both of their kids, Benjamin and Kourtney, who were suspected to be results of the abuse she sustained. Their relationship only ended after he had left with the kids five years ago. After this she had changed her name and joined the Navy, maybe with the hope that being in the Navy would make her appear less weak than she was before.**

**After Kristine's life-story had been revealed, the Deeks and Kensi tag-team had been left reeling under the weight of their own memories which had resurfaced unannounced. Relocking those memories hadn't been easy and when she had finally succeeded and returned to reality she had been faced with the concern looks of Callen, Sam, Nell, Eric and even Hetty as they had looked between her and Deeks.**

**"We know we're irresistible, at least I am, but it doesn't mean you have to look at us like we're dessert," had been Deeks response when he had also notice their colleagues and boss' look.**

**That response had served to remind the others that they had been conducting a lookathon on the partners. Callen quickly recovered and began giving orders.**

**"See if you guys can track down the husband," he stated looking at both technical analysts.**

**Nell nodded while Eric verbally responded. "Already on it and I've sent the brother's address to your phone. I would've sent the mother's also but she lives with her son and his family which totally makes sense considering - "**

**"Thanks Eric," had been Sam's response as he interrupted Eric's ramblings.**

**Callen shook his head at Eric, shared a look with his partner and his boss before turning Kensi and Deeks. He gave them a quick searching look before addressing them. **

**"Kensi, you and Deeks take the brother's address. Sam and I'll take the Navy office, find out how they missed this."**

**The team began to disperse to do their tasks before Hetty's voice sounded. "Mr. Deeks, Ms. Blye, a word when you return."**

**"What did you do?" hissed Kensi.**

**"Me? I didn't do anything, I swear"**

**"That's what you said last time, look what happened then"**

**Deeks scoffed. "It was still way better than the time you got blood on your dress and totaled that poor car."**

**"That wasn't my fault and it was unavoidable"**

**"Really? So there was not other way to stop the guy than to cause an accident and smash his nose into a pole?"**

**"I used what was available, was I suppose to wait on you?"**

**"I wouldn't want you to have missed out on the fun and joy of apprehending a suspect on my account."**

**Kensi's response was to punch Deeks**

**"HEY!, that hurts, you know" **

**Kensi raised her brow in response to her pouting partner but also in response to voices of Callen and Sam.**

**"All I'm asking is do you think it's a good idea."**

**Callen sighed.**

**"You know I'm not saying they're not capable just that maybe they're to close."**

**"I know what you're saying, Sam, but we both know there was nothing else I could do. Besides, Kens and Deeks'll prevent each other from jeopardizing themselves or the case."**

**It was now Sam's turn to sigh. "Yeah, but they're not only assets anymore, they're also liabilities" **

Kensi was pulled out of her reverie by the sound of the door opening and she was instantly alert even as she saw it was a nurse. She remained alert as the nurse checked over the figure in the bed, only allowing herself to relax when the nurse left again.

Looking at the limp form of her partner lying on the bed she realized that Sam had been right, they had become liabilities.


	5. Chapter 5

The days seem to meld into one long patterned day to Kensi. Her awareness of the passage of time came in the form of her the doctors and nurses who checked on Deeks at intervals, the team led by Hetty, who came with and for updates with a side serving of food and clothes, and Brandon and his mother who came every afternoon. Had it not been for those visits she would be as oblivious to the amount of time she spent in the hospital as the man lying in the bed in front of her.

Her continual vigil at Deeks bed did not improve his condition but she could not bring herself to leave. Everyday she would sit by his bed staring and hoping that he would wake up or that the doctors would say there was an improvement and everyday her hopes were dashed. The doctors were losing hope of him ever waking up and were fearful of the ramifications of Deeks accident if he wakes up. Their prognosis was not good and they told her she should think of other 'alternatives' since she was his next of kin.

"Deeks is going to wake up! Therefore there is no need to think of any alternatives!" had been her response before she had stormed away from the doctors, furious at their suggestion.

After her outbursts the doctors had been cautious when approaching, entering or exiting Marty Deeks room. Kensi Blye was more alert and suspicious now than she had been before their suggestions. She questioned everything they did and they could not administer any drugs unless she knew what they were for. This continued until the day Deeks finally woke up.

Deeks return to the land of the awake was eventful. The doctors had arrived with security which had stood outside the room. This instantly increased Kensi's alertness. The doctors had entered only to be faced with a pissed off NCIS agent with a gun pointed at them and a locked door. Security had tried to enter but it was useless. The doctors in the room all looked at each other, most glaring at one in particular. This is not the way it was suppose to go they thought remembering the plan that got them into the position they were currently in.

**"****This may be our only chance to do this. We could create history," stated Dr. John, the resident neurologists.**

**His counterparts did not share his enthusiasm, however. "Are you nuts? Have you seen those two guys who visit him? They could be dangerous," was the first reply.**

**"****He's right. We don't know anything about them and my career is not worth my life," agreed another.**

**"****They are not dangerous," replied Dr. John. "The big guy is probably a gym buff and the other one is just a loner. Besides what would they be doing hanging out with that surfer guy and a computer tech if they were dangerous?"**

**"****You may have a point but what about that kick-ass hottie who stays in his room?"**

**"****We'll just bring along security as back-up but we probably won't need them once we tell her we need to run some tests because we think we found a way to help him," was Dr. John's reply.**

**"****Or, you know, I could stay with her incase she needs assurance or a shoulder to . . . cry on," came the smirking response of an ambitious and obvious favourite junior doctor.**

**"****Whatever happens with her is not our main concern. Our only concern is what happens to Mr. Deeks. All we need to do is get him out of his room and onto our operating table and voila we make history."**

**"****There are still some obvious holes in you plan, Dr. John. For example, you are not his neurologist, no one under your command is."**

**"****You worry too much, doctor," was Dr. John off-handed reply before directly addressing the entire room. "We can do this but you guys have to be willing. Think of the recognition we'll receive for furthering science, the respect we'll gain."**

**The other doctors all agreed even if they were reluctant. They all looked at the doctor who had opposed Dr. John's idea from the beginning. "I still don't think it is a good idea but for the furthering of science, I'll do it." **

**"****We'll go around 1:00. We'll meet at my office and go together. Let's get ready to create history, gentlemen."**

By the time the men had return to the present they now had two guns pointed at them held by the same woman and they could hear the distinctive click of a phone being disconnected.

"Miss, we just wanted to take Mr. Deeks here to run some tests," began Dr. John continuing with the plan.

"Oh, really? I guess these tests are so classified that you needed to bring security," was the reply. Kensi's response terrified the doctor's even more. Although the words were sarcastic the delivery lacked any sarcasm.

"N-no," stuttered Dr. John before he took a deep breath and continued. "We just thought you would feel more secure with security waiting with you."

"The only reason security would need to stay with me was if you wanted to take my partner for some reason. So what is it?"

The sound of pounding footsteps echoed up the corridor causing the doctors especially Dr. John to breathe a sigh of relief. This relief was tapered when the owners of the footsteps appeared to be the 'gym buff' and the 'loner' both of whom also had guns. Kensi smirked at the doctors before stepping away from the door with the guns still trained on them. The doctors only stared confused until the door gave way under the propelled weight of Sam while Callen stood with both his and Sam's gun trained inside.

"Sam. Callen. How nice of you to join us, these nice doctors here were just about to tell me where they were going to take my partner and why."

"We were only taking Mr. Deeks to run some tests and thought the young lady would feel more secure with security. They will be back soon, by the way."

"You mean those guys who were running to the elevators?" asked Sam.

"They won't be back for a while," shrugged Callen. "So I guess it's just you and us."

The doctors froze after Callen had spoken except for the junior doctor who lunged at Deeks' oxygen tank. As his hands touched the tank there was a shot followed instantly by two groans.


	6. Chapter 6

"Fern!" came Deeks' groan just as she fired off a shot at the lunging junior agent.

Kensi instantly spun towards the sound of her partner's voice. "Deeks," she said in relief.

Deeks held Kensi's eyes for a few moments, his eyes unreadable even to his partner, before he turned his gaze towards the other occupants in the room. He skimmed over the doctors before going to Callen and Sam, his gaze immediately diverted back towards the doctors when he noticed they were being held at gunpoint. A groan coming from the ground drew his attention and he looked down to see the writhing junior doctor who Kensi had just shot. His gaze flicked back to Kensi before he greeted the others in the room.

"Sam. Callen. Killer-Doctors Inc."

"We are not killers," came the indignant reply of one of the doctors. "If they are any killers in here it's your fellow thug friends," he continued cautiously gesturing towards the agents in the room.

"Thugs? We aren't the ones trying to commit crimes against my partner and I," was Kensi's mockingly indignant reply.

"We aren't the ones pointing guns."

"Okay, okay. Thugs and Killer-Doctors," Deeks croaked before LAPD burst onto the scene.

"Thank God you're here," began Dr. John before he was cut off by the LAPD guns also being trained at them.

Lieutenant Gaskin enters assessing the situation, his eyes falling on the bed's occupant who is apparently at the centre of the effected standoff in the room.

"Deeks."

"Lieutenant."

"What seems to be the problem?" he asks to the room at large.

"These thugs pointed guns at us when we came to check on the patient," was Dr. John's reply.

"Thugs, huh?" the lieutenant asks before glancing at Callen. He wasn't interested in crashing an NCIS undercover operation. Receiving a subtle shake of the head from the mysterious G. Callen which was accompanied by a snort from the bed, the lieutenant continued this time addressing the still silent NCIS leader. "How do you want to handle this?"

"We'd like to press charges," stated Dr. John whose vocal cords were apparently returning.

This response earned another snort, this time from Kensi and a smirk from Callen, who finally decided to speak. "Cuff them and we'll take it from there."

An incredulous burst of laughter came from across the room. "Cuff us? Who the hell do you thin you are ordering LAPD to arrest us?"

"We are the keepers of the law. You know, the guys who catch the bad guys and put them in jail," Sam replied.

"The keepers of which law, certainly not that of this country."

"Oh, where are our manners?" Deeks semi-croaked with a smirk, "allow us to introduce ourselves." He paused to take sip of the water which Kensi handed him. "I'm . . .who am I ?" he asked Kensi.

Kensi shook her head before answering with a smirk. "You're still you."

"I'm Detective Marty Deeks. This is Special Agent Sam Hanna, his partner _Senior_ Special Agent G. Callen and my partner, _Junior_ Special Agent Kensi Blye," Deeks introduced indicating each person.

The doctors began sputtering after Deeks had finished his introductions.

"Oh, this is Lieutenant Gaskin and those are members of the LAPD," Deeks continued gesturing towards the others in the room as they moved to cuff the doctors, the one who had been shot grunting in pain, before they were led out.

After the doctor's had been led out and the guns holstered, Kensi, Sam and Callen turned to Deeks.

"Welcome back," Callen said

"Good to be back even if it was a little bit over the top,"

"When have you ever done anything that wasn't over top, Shaggy,"

"I'm a very low-key person unlike Kiki over here who shot a doctor." There was a slight pause before he continued, "why exactly were you pointing guns at the KDs?"

"KDs?"

"Yea, Killer-Doctors but that is too much to keep saying."

Kensi shook her head at her partner before telling what had happen. When she was finished theories began bouncing around the room with the most outrageous ones being from Deeks. By the time Deeks had been examined by Hetty's neurologist and other doctor who had been screened and closely monitored Sam and Callen's departure Deeks was getting tired although he was fighting it.

His gaze landed on Kensi whose eyes were continually landing on him and then skittering away. He knew she was worriedly over thinking something which had to do with him, maybe about the same thing that was currently plaguing his thoughts. He wanted to talk to her but he wasn't sure this was the time to approach her. He wasn't even sure how he felt towards her at the moment or what he wanted to say. So he shut his eyes and let sleep take over him as she sat in the chair her eyes roaming his form and skittering away.


End file.
